The Menial
by LithiumLaughingCorpse
Summary: Sumire, a slave in a house full of vampires, wants to escape. Her wish comes in the form of Wraith, a powerful vampire. Carver, who is Sumire's Master, doesn't think Sumire deserves to leave. Time: Present MUCH better summary inside! Chapter 7 Is UP!
1. Chapter One

Alrighty! Here's just a simple (tsh, yeah right) vampire story by ME, your goddess, Raven. Nah, just kidding about the goddess part xD! Oh, and here's my disclaimer: Some of my ideas come from various books, such as the Anita Blake books by Laurell K. Hamilton. But I will not take actual characters from the book and call them mine. Do I look greedy to you?!

Introduction:

**The Menial**

Sumire wants out; now. Her back is raw and bloody, and she can't remember the last time that she ate a meal she wasn't afraid was poisoned.

At a mansion called Phoenix, every slave Vampire owns a slave, and every slave is treated like a worthless animal. It just so happened that Sumire gave the Master Vampire a note-worthy scar on the left side of his face. So, of course, she's treated the worst. If she drops something, she's whipped at least five times. If she's rude, she goes without a meal for a week. Any Vampire she meets up with in the grand hallways of Phoenix usually adds to her cuts and bruises.

When a new Vampire named Wraith appears, Sumire can't help but think that there's something different about him. He's quiet, but not paranoid. Inside of him, power builds itself. Sumire realizes that this Vampire is a good guy, and he's also more powerful than any Vampire she's ever met. If she tried to befriend Wraith, would she be able to escape? She hopped so.

Please R&R and ENJOY!!

  
Chapter One

When the sun found its way through her poorly curtained window, Sumire smiled. She was sitting upon her bed, waiting for it. When the sun came up, the Vampires went down.

"Are you going to go to Arrah?" A girl with fair blonde hair and bright green eyes was standing in the doorway. Her name was Lira, and she shared the room with Sumire.

"Yeah, I suppose I have to. I can't exactly bend over after that last hit."  
Lira made a face, then disappeared from the doorway. Sumire waited until she couldn't hear Lira's footsteps down the hallway before getting up. When her feet hit the ground, one of the large scabs on her back cracked with a sort of ripping noise, and the girl had to take a hold of one of the posts to make sure her knees didn't buckle. Thank the Gods that they had Arrah (a Healer) living in Phoenix.

_Otherwise, _Sumire thought as she made her way down the hallway, _I might not be living at all._

Once the girl reached the small medical wing of the mansion, she pulled open a door which lead to Arrah's nursing room. The old woman was skilled in healing whatever needed to be healed, but she never could yell at the Vampires for hurting the humans she lived with.

"Oh, sweet Jesus, let me look at you," Arrah pulled Sumire over to one of the beds in the room, then sat her down. The back of her shirt was crusted with blood, and Sumire knew that they'd have to peel it off.

"Carver had a little too much fun with the whip last night." She mumbled, then looked away while Arrah started peeling the shirt off. Unfortunately for her, there was a tall mirror facing her.

The girl studied her reflection as Arrah lightly pulled at the shirt. She wasn't very tall, standing at five-foot-four, and had long, tangled black hair. It framed her face almost perfectly sometimes, and exaggerated her steely gray eyes and pale complexion. Sometimes she thought that _she_ was the Vampire, not them. At least she was 18 years old and they were about 380.

Her arms were lined with scars, and she knew that once it healed she'd have to take a look at her back. The skin was so shiny because of all of the scars that were put upon her back; not even Arrah could fully heal some of them.

Sumire's eyes left herself to study Arrah. The woman was older, yes, but she flounced around like a woman in her mid twenties. Arrah had the same black hair that Sumire did, but she had blue eyes instead of the gray. The Vampires had put her in charge of the medicine cabinet for a reason. Her and Sumire were family; mother and daughter. It was an awful fact, but Sumire trusted her mother more than anyone in Phoenix. That was a simple fact.

"Okay, it's off." Arrah made a face when she dropped the bloody and torn shirt into one of the trash bins, then left to go get some medicine. When she returned, she motioned with her hand for Sumire to lay on her front. The girl did, and her mother sat down next to her. She was holding a washcloth and a liquid used for cleansing a wound, but it hurt like Hell.

As she poured the liquid on, Sumire dug her face into her arms and snarled to herself. Some day, she'd be able to use that damn leather whip on Carver and enjoy it just as much as he enjoyed whipping her.

"Oh, child," Arrah whispered under her breath, and Sumire lifted her head. The liquid in the bottle was almost completely gone, and they'd started with a full bottle. But it was the expression on her mother's face that made Sumire turn her head more. "If he went any deeper he could have snapped your spine."  
"Oh, I know mum. I know. That bastard is awful, but it's just because he's embarrassed that a _human_ gave him that ugly scar on his face. He deserved it." Sumire looked away and relaxed her shoulders. Since the scabs had been washed away, the four new slashes from the whip were bleeding freely. Arrah left them to bleed for a minute so that the bacteria would leave with the blood.

A few minutes later, she returned with bandages and a jar of ointment. She made it and kept it specially for her daughter, although there were other ointments that she used on everyone else. Some may call if unfair, but not everybody got beat the way Sumire did.

"So, what are your plans for today, mum?" She had to break the awful silence between them.

"Oh, I don't know," Arrah didn't look up from her work. She carefully pasted some of the ointment onto one of the slash wounds. It had a cooling effect, so Sumire wasn't in much pain thankfully. "I think I'm just going to make a few new topical meds and what-not. What about you?"

Sumire nodded slightly, then shrugged. Both women flinched because of it. "I-I'll just wander around. Maybe go out and get some vegetables for tonight's dinner. Maybe I can try to make it decent for once."  
Arrah had stopped putting the ointment on, and that made Sumire turn her head to look at her again. The woman's eyes were sad, and she looked at her daughter in a way that made her want to cry. "Carver told me that he wants to drink from you tonight, Sumire."  
"Oh," Was all that she could say to reply. She wanted to hug her mother, but she couldn't because of the ointment. After a few moments, Arrah thankfully started pasting more on, then finally wrapped her back with the bandages.

Sumire sat up as her mother left to get her a new shirt. Their clothing wasn't special at all; it consisted of black flannel pants, and a black shirt that was either long-sleeved or had no sleeves at all. Today, Sumire got the shitty version of a tank-top. The bandage didn't show from under it, so Carver wouldn't take his own anger out on Arrah tonight for "helping and loving" her daughter, as he'd put it.

"Alright, off you go." Arrah smiled, then patted her daughter on the cheek. A hug would be useless, obviously, but the contact made Sumire feel better. With a nod, she walked out of the wing and meandered down the hallways.

She came to a halt in front of one of the many paintings that lined the spacious hallways of Phoenix. It was a painting of Carver. In this one, his shoulder-length gray hair was tied back, and he was glaring with those piercing amber eyes of his. His face was sharp and mean. He was from somewhere in Europe, but he carried no accent. It must have been because he was so old. Carver was exactly five-hundred and fifty years old. He was the most powerful Vampire in the house, and probably the country. But then again, Sumire had never gone beyond the gates of Phoenix while she was there. She'd been a slave for seven years. Arrah had given birth to her in another city, but was captured and taken in as one of Phoenix's slaves. She wasn't killed because of her ability to heal. When the Vampires found out that she had a daughter somewhere out there, they searched for a year until they finally found her. Sumire had been hiding in her father's place. He looked nothing like her, except for the gray eyes. His hair had been blond and short. He was a gentle and kind man, and the Vampires had slaughtered him like a pig. Sumire wouldn't forgive that, ever. That was one reason why Carver had that scar on his face.

In the painting, there was no scar. Sumire guessed that it was done at least seventy years ago. But now, the Vampire had a pink, ugly scar that was about two inches wide and ran from the top of his hairline down to his chin in a curve. It sat on the right side of his face, because at the time, that was the only area that Sumire could reach with a butcher's knife.

"I thought that you weren't allowed around here."  
A clear, dark voice was heard from behind her, and Sumire whirled around. Gerard, Carver's usual "blood donor", respected Sumire more than she thought he did. He enjoyed the fact that whenever Carver fed off of him he could see that scar she'd given him.

Sumire grinned. "I'm not, but that doesn't stop me."

Gerard smiled and shrugged. "I guess not. Did Arrah help much?"

"Yeah, and I guess that you get to take the night off."

"I what?"

Sumire sighed and sat down on one of the benches that sat next to a window. Gerard sat next to her, but he turned so he could look at her. "Carver told mum that he wanted my blood tonight, so I guess you don't have to give any tonight."

Gerard waved his hand as if he was trying to wave her words off. "He'll probably lend me out to someone else. You know that."  
The girl's eyes lowered, and she shrugged. "But one can hope, can't she?"

Gerard nodded slowly, then suddenly perked up. "Hey, I guess a Master Vampire from another state is coming in tonight."

"And why are _you_ so happy about it?"

"I overheard Carver complaining that he was stronger than any other Vampire here. Apparently, Misery invited him."

"Misery's such a whore. She probably just wants to sleep with whoever this Master is or something."

Gerard laughed. "Yeah, but Carver usually occupies that certain spot on the bed, so I don't think he'd let Misery get away with that."

Sumire nodded. Carver would rather kill than let his dear Misery, the "High Bitch" as they all call her, sleep with someone else rather than him. 


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

"Sumire," Carvers voice rang out in the back of her head. "Come to me."  
She dropped the broom, then walked out of the kitchen. Her eyes were narrowed angrily. He didn't control him, but if she didn't do what he wanted he'd destroy her mind.

When she reached his room, a guard opened the door and let her in. She hopped out of the way with ease when he tried kicking her through it. Carver sat at his desk with his feet propped up on it, but he sat up when she entered. It wasn't out of respect; it was because she'd have to sit on the desk.

"Who'd you give Gerard to?"

Carver snorted. "Why do you care?"

"I care about Gerard."  
The Vampire rolled his eyes and mumbled something about "human emotions." After a while, he finally answered. "The Vampire who just arrived here. Now come here, Sumire."  
His voice was impatient, so she slid around the desk and sat on it. Carver, as tall as he was, didn't need to stand to reach her neck. He pulled her hair back from her shoulders, then let it fall over her left shoulder. His hands came around his neck, and when he opened his mouth and leaned in, his fangs were fully extended. Sumire closed her eyes, but didn't wince when his fangs sunk into the flesh of her neck. She clenched her teeth when he began drinking her blood, but she couldn't help but open one eye and look at the scar that Gerard got a nice view of almost every night.

After Carver had taken his share, he sat back and licked his lips. His eyes were gleaming, and a red tint was forming upon his cheeks. Sumire smirked as the small puncture wounds on her neck healed up at an alarming rate. Carver narrowed his eyes, and then sat up.

"What did Arrah give you?"

"Nothing, _Master._" Sumire made the word sound like a profanity.

"Liar," He hissed and stood. In a flash, he had her pinned to him with one arm. His free hand tilted her head to the side viciously, and he watched as the last bit of his marks disappeared. Then, he threw her across the desk. Sumire landed roughly on one of the chairs, and let out a cry because of her back. Carver just smiled, although it wasn't a friendly smile. "You made it, human. Didn't you?"

Sumire sat up and glared. "Yes, I did. It's too bad that you couldn't do anything about that pretty little gash on your face, Carver."

"_NEVER speak of my scar!"_

Sumire didn't flinch. He was trying to use one of his voice tricks which usually worked on the rest of the slaves in Phoenix. If she was anybody else, she'd be on her knees kissing his feet. Instead, she smirked. "Still a bit touchy about it, are we?"

She saw him move, felt her back hit the wall, but what stopped Carver from killing her was a simple knock at the door. He was gripping one of her wrists, and she was slowly sliding down the wall in pain. In an instant, he was sitting at his desk while Sumire was crumpled on the floor in pain. She was gripping her wrist, but her back hurt much, much worse.

"Come in." Carver smiled, and Sumire knew it was fake.  
A Vampire entered, and Sumire guessed that he was the one Gerard was talking about. He was tall, but not as tall as Carver. His hair was a pure white, but it changed to a blood red as it hit his shoulders. His features were softer, and his eyes were gray like hers. At first, he didn't notice her, but then Gerard followed him in and glared at Carver.

The Vampire simply smiled and motioned for the new Vampire to sit.

"Please, have a seat, Wraith."

Wraith did not. Instead, he focused upon Sumire for a moment. In that moment, a silent rage filled his eyes, and Sumire was guessing that it was not towards her. His expression cleared, just like that, and he sat down. Gerard remained at the door, his eyes on Sumire the entire time. She could tell by the way he was fidgeting that he wanted to go and see if she was alright.

"Carver," Wraith's voice brought Sumire's attention back to the Vampire. It was cool, and almost to the point of sounding deadly. But for some reason, his voice was calming to her. It wasn't a Vampire trick, either, and she could feel his power bouncing off of her skin in waves. He was _much_ stronger than Carver, that was for sure. "I thought that you said you don't harm your servants?"

Carver snorted. "Servants? Slaves more like. But this particular girl is arrogant and rude."

"I smell blood all over her, but yet she has no bite marks upon her neck."

Sumire blinked, then guessed that her back was bleeding again. Gerard couldn't put up with it anymore. "Carver—"

"_SILENCE!"_ Carver stood, and a little breeze went over both humans. Gerard sunk back into the door and covered his face. Even from under his arms, Sumire could tell that he had little cuts all over his cheeks as if he had just stuck his face in a rose bush.

"Carver, enough. I am a guest here, yes, but I won't stand here and do nothing as you continue to hurt them. If you think that they're being rude, I think you just need to take a look in the mirror."

The Vampire had been smirking, but not he looked completely outraged. There wasn't a damn thing he could do, though. Phoenix had no house rules like the rest of them did. It was an open house, and any Vampire could come and go as they pleased. Wraith was just as strong as he, too.

"Very well." Carver motioned with his hand slightly, and the door opened. Gerard ran out of it, and after she was able to pick herself up, Sumire ran out as well. Just as she was leaving, though, Carver said to Wraith, "That was the filthy runt who gave me this scar."

She didn't wait around to hear what the other Vampire had to say. As her and Gerard ran down the hallway, three more Vampires appeared around the corner. One was Misery, the other two her "friends". Misery was tall, and she was damn proud of it. Her golden hair and amber eyes were very prominent, and you never saw her in anything put a short-skirt with knee-high boots. Her shirts ranged from anything to Victorian to a regular long-sleeve.

"Sumire!" Her voice rang out, harsh and clear.

The girl stopped in her tracks, but she motioned for Gerard to keep walking. He did, and slid past Misery and the other two nervously.

"What is Carver up to?" Her voice was still in a commanding tone. It always was, though.

"He's talking to Wraith," She explained, then lowered her eyes and kept walking. Surprisingly, Misery didn't stop her. As she turned the corner, though, she sprinted down the hallway and into her room.

Lira wasn't anywhere to be found, so Sumire turned her back to the mirror and pulled her shirt up a little. There was blood seeping through the bandage, and of course as soon as she took a look at it, it hurt worse. Muttering, Sumire left dropped her shirt so it fell over her back again, then left the room and walked uneasily down the hallways to go to the medical wing.

"Excuse me," A voice came out from the shadows of a corner, and Sumire started. She backed up when the shadow moved, her eyes searching it quickly. Wraith appeared in the light, and he had his hands up. "Oh, I'm sorry…I didn't mean to scare you."  
Even though he was trying to be nice, Sumire was still tense. She nodded slightly, but didn't say anything. Her eyes were fearful, but she didn't mean to show that. Over the years, she'd gained the ability to mask her emotions from Vampires. Unfortunately, Wraith was so strong that she couldn't.

Wraith opened his mouth to speak, closed it, then tried again. His voice was hesitant, and he took another step towards her. "Are…are you alright?"  
Sumire blinked, and her expression dropped from scared to confusion. Wraith noticed it, and he dropped his hands. The movement made Sumire jump a little. "I-I guess…why?"

Now it was Wraith's turn to look confused. He took another careful step forwards, which brought them just a couple of feet apart. His eyes lowered to look at her, and his voice went low when he spoke. "They don't treat you guys very well, do they?"

Sumire shook her head, then stopped suddenly. She hadn't meant to answer, but why lie? Wraith was looking at Carver's number one punching back. "I'm basically the favorite to beat on, though."

Wraith nodded slightly, then stepped back and off to the side. His eyes had grown somewhat fierce, but Sumire had no way of telling what he was thinking.

Suddenly, he asked, "Do you want to get out of this place?"

"Of course I do. I hate it here. Carver's the biggest prick in the world, and his girlfriend isn't much better."

Again, the Vampire nodded. He turned his steely eyes back to Sumire, then offered her a small smile. "I'm here because of you, Sumire. Your mother…she sent a letter to me."

"What?"

"You mother wants me to help you get out of here. I will, I swear. But I also have to bring Carver down."  
"Oh, okay."

Wraith blinked. "You don't seem very surprised about that."

Sumire smiled a little. "I want to hurt Carver more than you could imagine. He deserves it."

Wraith smirked and showed a bit of fang. "Yes, yes he does."


	3. Chapter Three

**Note**: Sorry about all of the strange extra spaces in chapters one and two! Blame MY computer!!!! Raven

Chapter Three

Arrah grinned at her daughter when she walked in. Of course, Sumire was scowling, and Arrah knew it wasn't just her back.  
As Sumire sat down, Arrah took the time to grab new bandages and ointment. When she returned, Sumire already had her blood-stained shirt off, and was laid out on the bed on her front. Arrah sighed, then sat next to her daughter and started applying the ointment. It took Sumire about five minutes to actually talk; Arrah had actually expected her to come in yelling.  
"Why did you send for Wraith?" Sumire's voice was low, and it had a very worn out edge to it.  
Arrah shrugged slightly, but knew that she had to talk. "You need to get out of here. This place will ruin you, and you…you have so much time ahead of you. Besides, I'd rather see your back scab free."  
"It won't be scar free, though."  
"Doesn't matter."  
Sumire went silent again as she became lost in her own thoughts. Arrah had too, but she was thinking more along the lines on how she'd distract Carver long enough for Wraith to take Sumire.  
"Carver won't let me go. We'd have to kill him, and I'm not sure I want anybody after me for that. Wraith wouldn't even deserve something such as that."  
The old woman let out a snort. "Wraith does as he pleases. He only came here because our family has taken care of him for centuries. When he first became a Vampire, our ancestors made sure he got the blood he needed, and even helped him gain the power he has today. He told your father once that if it weren't for us, he would have died ages ago."  
Sumire blinked, then turned her head so she could look at her mother. It was interesting to learn something like that, and she guessed that not even Carver knew about that. "So why has Wraith been gone, then?"  
"You'll have to ask him," Arrah answered flatly. Wraith was a tricky Vampire, and he didn't say much when he didn't want to. Apparently he'd always been like that, though.  
"Was he a good friend of father's?"  
Arrah shook her head. "He helped Wraith, but he didn't approve of the Vampire much. did, and I know that you do, so he feels more comfortable around us."  
Sumire closed her eyes, and suddenly a picture of Wraith's outraged expression passed in front of them. She opened them quickly, then shook her head somewhat to clear the image. No wonder why Wraith got ticked off when he walked in and saw her on the floor. Carver had an extremely harsh way of treating his slaves. Wraith, of course, called them servants.  
"Has Wraith ever owned a place like this?"  
Arrah stopped pasting the gooey ointment on Sumire's back as she thought. "No, I don't think so. That's something you might have to ask him, too, but I'm fairly sure he hasn't. Why?"  
"Well," Sumire hesitated, then continued, "He called us servants instead of slaves. It just made me wonder if he had a place like this."  
"Everybody has a place that they live…I just don't know where Wraith's is."  
"Ah."

When Sumire was done getting her new bandages (and a new shirt again), she started meandering down the hallway. All of the Vampires were in the main area of the mansion; no slave was allowed there, so she didn't bother trying to spy on them.

"I noticed that you had no fangs marks," Gerard walked up behind Sumire as she was staring out of a window; out into the darkness.

The girl shrugged, and he smiled a little. "Did he really bite you?"

When she lifted her eyes from the window to meet his, he took a step back. They were filled with pain. "He did. He bit me, and I healed up faster than I should have. Wraith came in with you before he did any real damage, though."

Gerard nodded. He looked forwards and into the darkness like Sumire was. "Wraith told me that he was leaving soon, with one of us. Do you know who it'll be?"

The anticipation in his voice made Sumire cringe a little. Then, she shrugged slightly. "I don't know, but don't say a word to Carver, okay? I think he'd skin you alive if you did."

The boy agreed with a simple nod. Suddenly, he winced, then fell to his knees. Sumire whirled, and she came face to face with Misery. She had impaled Gerard with a sword that belonged to Carver.

"Well," The Vampire said with a smirk, "We won't be needing him, anymore. Carver thinks that your blood tastes better, my dear."

She started laughing, and Sumire hit her hard enough that she staggered backwards. Before the girl could help Gerard, Misery swung back and knocked her to the floor with a simple flick of her wrist.

"What is WRONG with you, girl?! How _dare_ you hit me!" She shrieked, then loomed over Sumire like Death itself. Though she wasn't death, and Sumire knew that very well.

Gerard made a gagging noise, and fell on his side; right at Sumire's feet. She slid forwards with a cry, but Misery pushed her back and into the wall. Now, the Vampire's eyes were bloodshot and hungry. The blood that was spilling from Gerard was helping with that, and when he gagged once more, Sumire knew that he was gone. Her only friend was gone.  
_Bitch,_ Sumire thought in anguish. She opened her mind, and it echoed right into Misery's.

The Vampire howled with rage as she jumped on Sumire. Just as she was about to sink her fangs in, she was pulled back. She almost took Sumire with her, but the same hands wrenched her free.

Misery was being held by Wraith. She kicked and screamed, but the more she struggled, the tighter Wraith held on. His fangs were bared, and Sumire thought that he looked like the scariest thing she'd ever seen. Carver was scary, but Wraith had fangs that were almost three inches in length, and his eyes were so clouded with red that they looked almost maroon.

"_GET OFF OF ME!" _Misery screamed. Wraith just smirked. He was going to crush her unless Carver showed up. Sumire couldn't help but think that Carver wouldn't, but when she saw a blur of movement, she knew that Misery would be released.

When Wraith saw Carver, he let her go, then walked up to the Master Vampire. He, too, was a Master, but he was in Carver's house.

"You have broken my rules, Wraith," Carver said calmly. He had been standing about ten feet back, like he was scared, and when Wraith walked up to him he almost took a step back. "I'm going to have to ask you to leave."

Wraith just snarled as he glared at Carver. His voice was dripping with rage as he said, "Carver, you don't know how to treat anybody very well, so explain to me why I should?"

Carver's eyebrows lifted, and he laughed slightly. "They're _slaves_, Wraith. _Slaves_ get treated like dogs, because they are practically as worthless as dogs. Good for blood, good for chores. The end."

The older Vampire moved grabbed Carver's throat with motions that were blurred. "She's coming with me before you kill her."

"I don't think so," Carver growled. Wraith's hand was gripping his neck in a painful manner, and it was becoming a bother. Sumire on the other hand was enjoying every moment of it.

"I do," Wraith threw Carver into a wall, then ran to Sumire. The girl saw that Carver had been impaled with a piece of wood from the wall, but he wasn't dead. If they didn't get out of there in about ten minutes they'd be dead. Well, _she_ would, anyways.

"Come on!" Wraith grabbed Sumire by the wrist and started running down the hallway. He couldn't go as fast as he wanted to because of Sumire, and he wasn't about to pick her up because of her wounded back. As they turned the corner, Arrah appeared. She smiled a little, but worry was in her eyes.

"Wait, my mother! Wraith! Wait!" The Vampire just ignored her. Arrah made the motion to keep going, but Sumire didn't want to leave without her.

"Go, please Sumire," The woman said. She was smiling, but it died when Sumire started yelling at Wraith.

"PLEASE! No, Wraith…she needs to come with us…WRAITH, STOP!"

Suddenly, Wraith stopped. Sumire had to stop herself from running into him.

With still bared teeth, he turned his head slowly and looked at her. The expression on his face made her heart beat a little faster, and she swallowed nervously. "My…My mum. She has to come, Wraith…she can't stay here."

"No," he growled. His eyes were still red, and that's what worried Sumire.

"But Wrai-"

"No, Sumire. She told me that she didn't want to go. If she went, who would take care of everybody else?"  
Sumire closed her mouth; she couldn't argue with that. She knew that Wraith could help her back heal if he actually stayed with her. Finally, after a few moments, she nodded slowly. Before they left, she took one last glance at her mother.

As soon as they got out of the Mansion, Sumire started throwing question after question at Wraith. He answered them all calmly, but never let go of her wrist just in case she bolted back to get her mother. He'd caught the look in her eyes a couple of times.

"Where are we going?" Sumire demanded. When she got no answer she resorted to kicked Wraith in the back of the knees. "Well?"

Muttering curses under his breath, Wraith finally stopped and looked at Sumire. They were out of sight from Phoenix, but it was only a matter of time before Carver would start looking for them. "We're going to hide in the closest town for now, alright?"

When Sumire nodded, Wraith continued to walk. Before long, though, a black car appeared just over a hill on the road. It was just sitting where it was, but it was on. Sumire instantly became cautious, but Wraith didn't seem to think much of it. He went up to the car and tapped on the driver's window. It lowered a little, and two yellow eyes peered from behind it. They belonged to a man who was one of Wraith's friends, Sumire found out.

"Alright, get in," Wraith opened the door to the back seat, and Sumire instantly slid into the car. The Vampire followed, then closed the door as the car started to drive off.

The man driving lifted his eyes to the rear-view mirror and smiled a little. He had fangs. "Hey, I'm Robby."

Sumire raised an eyebrow. "Robby."

The Vampire frowned and nodded. Suddenly, his eyes looked very suggestive. Sumire blinked, but then glared. When they got even more suggestive, Wraith growled. The sound of it made Sumire jump; it was low and dangerous, like a dog who had been cut off of its leash.

A tense, uncomfortable silence ran through the three of them until Wraith finally spoke. His voice was low, not caring if Robby could hear him or not. "Sorry, Sumire."

The girl just nodded slightly as her eyes lowered. Her hands clasped together in her lap, and she made herself focus upon them. Wraith recognized the expression in her eyes; regret. She was thinking about Arrah again. Wraith put his hand on her chin, then pulled her face around so she'd look at him. His expression was serious, but his eyes held a sincere concern for her.

"Look, I know you're not happy about leaving your mother, but she wanted it. If I could, I'd turn around and go back there."

"Why can't you?" Sumire asked.

"It's not that simple," Wraith sighed. He let go of her chin, knowing he had her attention. "Carver would be able to kill me. They're house rules, and I can't force your mother to leave, anyways. She wanted to stay behind and take care of everyone else."

"But Wraith, Carver will _hurt_ her!" Sumire sat up, but in a blur of movement Wraith pushed her back into the seat. When she winced, he retracted, as if bitten. After muttering an apology, he shrugged slightly.

"She told me that she's prepared to face those consequences. She doesn't know where we're going, so when Carver asks, he'll know she'll be telling the truth. He'll _hurt_ her, but he won't _kill_ her, okay?"

Sumire paled. Her eyes searched Wraith's face for any expression, but she could find none. Finally, her eyes left him to look out the window. "Alright."

With a small smile, Wraith leaned forwards and whispered into Robby's ear. Sumire couldn't hear them, obviously, when Robby and Wraith started grinning, she frowned. Being in a car with two Vampires didn't help much, but she was at least glad to be rid of Phoenix.


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter 4**

"Wha…" Sumire opened her eyes and looked around. She was laying in a bed, but all of the lights were out. A soft glowing from behind the curtains of a hotel room provided the only light, and she realized that it was the daytime. When she turned her head, she found another bed beside her own, but someone was under the covers.

Suddenly, the light from the bathroom switched on, and a shadowed form stood just out of sight. Sumire narrowed her eyes slightly, but when she saw Wraith she blinked in sheer confusion. "Aren't you…Supposed to be sleeping right now? I mean, it's daylight and all."

Wraith chuckled. He only had a pair of jeans on and a towel around his shoulders. When he shrugged, the light from the bathroom slid around his shoulders and muscles like the water that had just been running over him. He raised an eyebrow at Sumire, who lowered her eyes when she realized she'd been staring.

"Quit doing that." Wraith mumbled, then moved to sit next to Sumire. Her rested his elbows on his knees so his head was bowed, but his eyes remained on her. When Sumire finally lifted her eyes to meet his, he smiled a bit. "Because I'm older than most, I can stay out in the day longer. I wake earlier."  
Sumire blinked, then looked at the clock on the bedside table. It read 3:56 PM, which made Sumire groan and put her face in her hands. She'd been sleeping for over nine hours. The form on the other bed had to be Robby, then. "Oh, boy."

The Vampire just chuckled. He'd really been awake for about three hours, but he'd been making phone calls almost the entire time. Carver hadn't come after them yet, but it was apparent that he would.

"So, now what?" Sumire's voice snapped him out of his thoughts.

"When Robby wakes up, we're going to get out of here. But for now, go shower and clean yourself up. I'll help you get that gross ointment shit and your bandages on when you're done."

Wraith made a face when he talked about the ointment her mother had made, but Sumire couldn't help but laugh a little. With a small nod, the girl got off of the bed and walked to the bathroom. Before she disappeared into it, she hesitated and looked back at Wraith.

"Oh, there's a new change of clothes for you in the bathroom. Don't worry, they'll fit."  
Sumire nodded again, then walked into the bathroom and shut the door. She looked around for a moment, then undressed and hopped into the shower after turning it on so it was the right temperature. She knew how to use showers, obviously. She even knew how to drive, but things like that had always been important to keep from Carver. But now that she was with Wraith, she could do those things and feel…normal. Almost normal, anyways. Vampires weren't exactly known to regular humans, so traveling around with one couldn't be called "normal."

Sighing, the girl uneasily slid out of the shower and dried off. She put the clothes on, wincing only twice due to her back.

"You don't have to put that shirt on yet, you know."

Wraith's voice made Sumire yelp slightly. She frowned, then opened the door and glared at him after she was fully dressed. "Wouldn't it be a bit awkward?"

The Vampire frowned this time, then shrugged and turned around so she could come out. "Don't you have one of those…you know…"

"Yeah, yeah." Sumire rolled her eyes with a smile. Wraith may be an old Vampire, but it was normal for any guy to hesitate when naming a girl's undergarments.

"Just lay on the bed." Wraith motioned towards it, and when her eyes drifted to Robby's sleeping form, he snorted. "He'll be out for another couple of hours. Don't worry."

Nodding almost wearily, Sumire made her way to the bed. Before she laid down on her front, she slid the black long-sleeved shirt off. When Sumire was neatly laying down, Wraith pulled out the jar of ointment from a bag and sat down next to her. He carefully spread the jell on each wound, then told her to sit up with her back to him so that he could wrap the bandage around her stomach.

Sumire didn't question him or complain; she just did what she was told. She didn't realize that every time Wraith reached around her to grab the bandage from his other hand, he hesitated. A small amount of crimson had risen to his cheeks, but even after over six hundred years, the "human" in him still didn't know how to act around the other gender sometimes.

When Wraith was done, he patted Sumire on the shoulder, then disappeared from behind her. She pulled on her shirt and turned around, but the Vampire was glaring down at Robby. His nostrils were flaring, and his lips were turned in a snarl.

"What is it? Is Robby-"  
Wraith put his hand out in a motion that told her to shut up. She did, but she also stood up and moved beside him. He took a step forward, then grabbed onto the sheets and pulled back. Sumire screamed, and Wraith had to clamp his hand over her mouth. Upon the bed was Robby, though he looked like a rotting corpse. Hardly any smell came from him, but all around him was a disgusting liquid that oozed from his skin. His skin in general was just sliding off of his bones like rubber, and when Sumire looked at his face she realized his eyes were open, but his eyeballs had literally melted in their sockets.

The girl turned around and bent over, hands over her mouth. She didn't want t vomit, but he sight of the rotting corpse was enough to do more than just make her puke. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to rid the image from her mind. Small whimpering noises came from her, and Wraith pulled her away from the bed and into the bathroom. He shut the door, then turned and sat down on the side of the bathtub. His face fell into his hands, and he started mumbling to himself in a language that Sumire couldn't understand.

"W-What happened to him, Wraith? Why i-is he rotting like that?"

Before Wraith could answer, Sumire had to throw the toilet seat up and lean over it. The Vampire put his hand on her back while she threw her guts up, but he remained silent. There wasn't much in her stomach to let go, so Sumire slowly started to just gag. "God…"

"Isn't on our side anymore." Wraith mumbled. His voice was pained, along with his eyes. Sumire looked at him after she'd wiped her mouth off. Her eyes were trembling. "Alright, Sumire. Robby has been poisoned with something that I don't know about. I don't know who poisoned him and why, but he really is dead now. Some Vampires can rot without dieing, but I know that Robby has never been able to do that. I made him, after all."  
Again, Wraith's voice sounded haunted, even tormented. Robby wasn't just a friend, Sumire realized; he was like a precious child. "So, what are we going to do?"  
The Vampire snorted and let out a hasty laugh. "We have to get out of here, _now._"

"But the sun-"

"You'll drive. I'll have to hide under something. I'll grab a blanket…you know how to drive, right?"

Sumire nodded. Relief washed over Wraith's face, but it was just for a moment. Then his expression became worried. He handed her the keys, along with the key to the room and a knife in its sheath. "Get the car…park it as close to the door as you can. I'll meet you there, but you're going to have to help me evade the sun. Understand?"  
"Yes," Sumire nodded, then left the bathroom without another word. After she left the apartment, Wraith slowly got up and walked back into the main room. He'd have to get rid of Robby's body, then call the office and check out. He could do that within five minutes, easy.

When Sumire drove up and parked the car as close to the door as she could, Wraith was already waiting with their bags. Thankfully, the sun was setting, so shadows were cast over their side of the hotel. She threw a blanket over the Vampire just in case, though, and then helped him into the car. He'd have to stay in the back, hiding, until the sun came out. Afterwards, she opened the trunk and threw the bags into it.

"Where to?"

Wrath sighed from under the blanket. His voice was breathy; he didn't enjoy being put into tight spaces. "Out of town, heading north."

Sumire nodded, then found a map in the glove box. She looked it over and found the route to get out of the town. Without much of a second glance, she left the hotel's driveway and got onto the highway. "So, what did you do with Robby? Do I even want to know?"

Wraith's low, dark chuckle came from the back. "He went down the drain, and the sheets god burned."

Sumire made a face. "Why didn't the fire alarms go off if the sheet was on fire?"

"You're asking _me_ this, Sumire?"

The girl shrugged and looked towards the horizon. The sun was just seconds away from disappearing. Her eyes went back to the road, and she sighed. The headlights would be the only light they had for a long while.  
Suddenly, Wraith appeared just beside her in the passenger's seat. Sumire jumped, and the car almost went veering off of the road. When she managed to get it under control, she took a deep breath and tightened her hold on the wheel. "Don't EVER do that again, alright?"

Wraith was just smirking in an amused manner. He hadn't meant to scare her, but her reaction was funny to him. If she crashed the car, they'd be alright anyways; he'd protect her. "Fine, fine. If you've been around Vampires for so long, why are you so jumpy?"

Sumire flushed slightly, knowing very well that even in the dark, Wraith could see it. "Don't ask me. Ask Carver."

Wraith's expression suddenly changed from amused to almost hurt. His voice had gone low, and even careful. "You know I'd never hurt you, right?"

Sumire nodded, then sighed as her grip on the wheel relaxed. She sat back in the seat a little more, glad that they were at least comfortable. "Yes, I know that. But after about six years of being beaten by _him,_ I can't help it. I'm sorry, Wraith. It'll go away sooner or later."

The Vampire beside her nodded. He was getting more and more confusing every minute. He was old, but he portrayed more emotion than a new Vampire sometimes. Then again, he could close himself off like a steel-plated door just as easily, and that was scary all on its own.

"Oh, take this next exit."

Sumire nodded. The car drifted easily into the exit lane, and she was happy that its brakes were smooth. She was shaking, but it was just a driver's nerves since she hadn't driven in a few years. It was easy to remember what to do, but once one actually did it, it got more hard.

She looked over at Wraith, and he pointed to a gas station that sat next to a diner. Sumire couldn't help but smile; the diner was a very welcoming sight. Her stomach suddenly rumbled like it agreed, and Wraith burst out laughing.

"Shut up, bloodsucker." Sumire pushed at him, and he pouted. Once again, she was getting confused by his human-like emotions that weren't normal for older Vampires. Muttering under her breath, she pulled up next to the gas pump and got out, Wraith did as well, then ignored her complaints when he pulled her around the car and shoved her in the passenger's side.

"It's too dangerous right now, so _you_ shut up."

When the car was full of gas, Wraith hopped into the driver's side and started the car. It rolled smoothly out of the station, then went right into the back of the parking lot of the diner. They got out, but Wraith made sure that Sumire was close as they walked through the parking lot.

"By the way…how are you going to get food?" Sumire asked before they entered the building. Wraith just blinked down at her, but when he grinned she paled a bit. He was just teasing her, but he knew that he too had to feed sooner or later. Once you were older, you didn't have to drink as much blood, but Wraith preferred to be very much in control of his blood levels. The better the blood levels, the better the control a Vampire had on his or her self.

Wraith was leaning back in his chair, watching Sumire look over the entries on the menu. She raised an eyebrow at a few, but frowned at most of them. The Vampire guessed that she was looking at the more expensive selections. He didn't mind, though. She could eat whatever she wanted as long as she ate at least all of it. Of course, he had no doubt that she could eat two plates worth of food.

"You know…you look so skinny that I can't tell what's bone and what isn't."

Sumire's glare from behind the menu got him grinning again. She huffed, then looked back at the menu. A minute later, the waitress came out and took her orders. When she left, Sumire leaned back in her own chair and stared at Wraith with eyes that held hardly an expression.

The Vampire moved in his chair a little, then sat up and growled slightly. "What?"

Sumire's lips curved into a smirk. "Just seeing how long I could stare at you before you became uncomfortable about it. I guess I feel a little better now that I know I can push you around somehow."

Wraith snorted in defiance, then glared. His eyes turned icy, but Sumire never flinched. It was almost like staring into her own eyes from a mirror; nothing new.

"Okay, fine, you win." Wraith ran a hand through his white and red hair. The contrast of it suddenly reminded Sumire of snow with blood poured on it, even though only the ends of his hair were dipped with red. His pouting expression ruined it all, though.

About an hour later, Sumire and Wraith left the diner. The waitress watched them go, glad that they'd left such a generous tip.

The black luxury car rolled out of the parking lot of the diner, and back out onto the highway. Sumire sighed and sunk back into the seat. She looked out the window, but only saw the darkness. After what seemed like hours, (though it was only twenty minutes later) Sumire looked at Wraith. His face was only visible because of the lights that came from the dashboard. The radio hadn't been turned on because neither of them felt like listening to music.

"Where are we going?"

He turned his eyes to her for a quick second, then looked at the road again. His eyes were pale, along with his skin. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to feed before he rescued Sumire. "Just to a town called Worland. We'll get a hotel there."

Sumire looked at the clock. It showed that it was only eleven at night. She guessed that Worland was quite a few hours away. "Okay. Thanks for the food, though."

Wraith nodded slowly. When the next exit came up, he turned onto it. Sumire looked at him again, but kept quiet. She knew a hungry Vampire when she saw one. Wraith had promised himself that he'd never drink from her, though, so he was going to find someone else.


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter 5**

Sumire was half asleep when Wraith slid into the car. He was silent, but his cheeks were slightly red from the blood he'd taken. His eyes loomed over to his passenger, and he smiled a bit sheepishly. Sumire just shrugged at him. If he was trying to apologize, he didn't have to. Every Vampire had to feed, just like every human had to eat. Maybe Wraith just wasn't use to being around humans that accepted that fact so easily.

They didn't talk until they were far away from the last town they'd stopped at. Wraith had been focusing on the road like it was something that would suddenly disappear. Sumire knew that he could drive with his eyes closed, but she didn't question him about it. He was feeling odd enough just being around her at the moment. But she decided to try and be a little blunt with her next question.

"Okay, are you alright?"

Wraith blinked, as if snapping out of a trance. He shrugged, but knew he wouldn't get out of not talking. His voice was calm, regular, but Sumire could tell he was feeling bad about having to leave her in the car to get blood. "I'll be fine."

He nodded afterwards, mostly to himself as if trying to get himself to calm down. Sumire laid her hand on his shoulder as she looked at him with worried eyes. "Wraith, stop kicking yourself; _stop_."

He growled, but then nodded slowly. This nod was meant for her, and she knew it. She sighed and dropped her hand. He was closing up on her again, but she'd just have to ignore it until he stopped being sulky.

_A Vampire being sulky,_ She thought. _Pigs must really fly somewhere._

A few hours later, they came upon a small town that had a Pepsi sign under a smaller sign that read "Welcome to Worland." Sumire snorted at the signs. She wondered about the Pepsi sign, but she figured out why it was up after they turned the corner. There was an actual Pepsi company in the town.

"Wow, and there stands their profits. All in one bottle."

Wraith looked at her with an eyebrow raised, but then chuckled slightly when he glanced at the building with the large bottle logo on it. He shook his head slightly, then continued down the street. It was late, very late, so nobody was out except for a few police officers. When the arrived at the hotel, Wraith had Sumire stay in the car and went to check in.

Sumire sat back in the seat, but watched the Vampire enter the building. She could see him through the windows, but she suddenly let out a scream when a dark figure appeared in front of her window. It reached back, as if to punch through the window, but by then Sumire was already in the driver's seat. She had the knife Wraith had given her out, and she tossed it at the stranger when he broke through the window. A hiss was heard, and she instantly realized that it was a Vampire. Someone had followed them.

"Let…GO!" Sumire yelled as the Vampire opened the door and grabbed her ankles. She wrenched at him, but he held on. Suddenly, he let out a scream as a larger blade than her knife cut through the place in his chest where his heart was. Instantly, the Vampire burned to ash. Behind him, Wraith sheathed the blade and glanced around. Nobody had seen them, but he quickly held his hand out for her.

Once she'd gotten out, they rushed inside with the bags and went up to their two bed room which looked almost like the first one she'd woken up in.

Trembling, Sumire sat down on one of the beds and pulled her legs up to herself. Wraith was pacing around the room, swearing under his breath every now and then. His eyes were sharp with rage.

"Jesus…I shouldn't have left you alone."  
Sumire shook her head. "No, it's fine. We didn't know-"

"No, but I could have been more careful. If he'd attacked while I was out feeding..." The Vampire shook his head and swore again.

"Sit down." Sumire narrowed her eyes. Wraith just stopped pacing and stared at her.

"What?"

"Sit down," She said simply. Her shoulders rose in a small shrug. "You need to calm down. I'm okay, you're okay, so sit down."

Wraith stared at her for another minute, then finally sat down on the other bed. His eyes were focused on the ground, and when he spoke he whispered. "We'll have to get a new car and everything."

"Ah, so what." Sumire waved her hand at him. When he looked at her, she smiled. He relaxed just a little in seeing that she was relaxed.

"Will you sleep?" He asked after a while.

"If you'll stay here," She replied stubbornly. Her eyes narrowed on him, but when he nodded they went back to normal. If she could sleep, he could calm himself. He stood, then sighed lightly.

"Wraith, I mean stay in the building. Don't go outside, okay? Please?"

The Vampire snorted as he turned to her. He nodded slightly, and when she glared he put his hands up and hissed through gritted teeth. "Okay, fine. I'll stay put."

Sumire smiled. "Thank you. Now I'll go to bed, I guess."

With that, the girl hopped off of the bed and went into the bathroom to clean up a bit. When she was done, Wraith was gone from the room, but she trusted that he'd stay in the hotel. She slid into bed after taking her jeans on and replacing them with a pair of knee-length shorts that were bought for her. They were much more comfortable that the jeans.

A few minutes after turning the lights off and sliding into the bed, the door opened and Wraith came in. He was silent, but he knew that Sumire was only half asleep. It was easy for him to be silent since he had centuries of practice at it, but she sensed presences like his easier than most. His eyes went over her form for a minute, and he sat on the bed slowly. It creaked, and he flinched. Typical hotel beds.

The sun was up again when Sumire awoke. She sat up as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, then directed them towards the digital clock. It was around ten in the morning, and when she looked over at the other bed she saw that Wraith was hiding under the covers. At least the drapes that covered the windows were thick. He'd left the bathroom light on so she could see, but still she managed to trip over something on her way there.

After another nice shower, Sumire dug out a sleeveless shirt from the bag that she'd found she shorts. Apparently, her mother had given Wraith a bag of clothes that she made or bought for her daughter that weren't anything close to slave's clothes. They were all comfortable, but at the moment Sumire was having trouble trying to apply the ointment and bandages to her back. It took her a few tries, but she managed to get the bandages on. They were sloppy, but she ignored how poor they were and turned around to look at herself in the mirror while she leaned her hands on the counter. Her once paled eyes had regained their full steel color, and her hair was actually shining in the light a bit. For once, she looked healthier, and she felt better. She was actually free of Carver; free of his beatings; free of his accusations. She could wear what she wanted, say almost anything she wanted, and eat like a regular human. The only problem was that she didn't have her mother. That fact caused light expression to drop, and she bowed her head slightly, casting shadows over her face.

"Why do you look so sad, when thoughts of you being free are hanging in the air?"

Wraith appeared behind her. His eyes held some confusion even though he partially knew why she was feeling bad. Sumire just shrugged. The movement made the bandage loosen a little, and when it rubbed against her wounds she flinched.

Wraith frowned, then pulled her away from the mirror. The rest of the room was still dark, and he told her to take the shirt off before he turned her around using her shoulders. Sumire did was she was told, but sighed when Wraith laughed at her attempt at a good bandage.

"This looks like crap, but I can't blame you. The way that the wounds are positioned makes it hard to do it yourself…and I bet that the ointment was just as hard to put on, hm?"

Sumire nodded with forced movements. She was pouting because she couldn't put on a bandage on her own, but she was also glad that he was there to help her, at least. "Wraith?"

He continued to pull the bandage around her abdomen and back, but raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"Where do you live?"

A small smirk came to the Vampire's lips. "Somewhere."

Sumire growled under her breath. When Wraith was done with the bandage, she immediately pulled her shirt back on and whirled around.

But he was nowhere in sight.

Quickly, the girl looked around, then found him sprawled out on the bed, reached for the remote. Sumire glared at him, and suddenly the remote slid out of his grasp. Stunned, the Vampire looked over at her with wide eyes. "Don't tell me you just did that."

Sumire, who was just as confused as him, shook her head. She fought for words, but when none came she sat down on the other bed. For a moment, her eyes just stared at the remote. When they finally met Wraith's, they were trembling just slightly. "What's going on?"

Wraith narrowed his eyes, then sat on the edge of the bed and reached for Sumire. She drew back, and he went still. It was that sort of stillness that Vampire got, where you thought that they were just wax figures. They didn't move, at all. This time, only Wraith's eyes moved over her face. Slowly, Sumire moved forwards, and he placed his hands on either side of her face. He closed his eyes, and a rush of cold air flew through the room. Sumire shuddered, but kept still otherwise.

The Vampire drew back with open eyes. He was silent for only a moment before saying, "You have a form of Magic in you, apparently. I don't know why I've never sensed it, but then again it's very slight."

Sumire just blinked at him.

With a sigh, Wraith sat back and ran his hands over his face. Even if he was a powerful Vampire, he was tired, and the sun was going to come up too soon. "Do you know much about your ancestors?"

"Not really. I know that someone from hundreds of years ago was Elvin. But that was on my mom's side and-"

"That's it." Wraith shrugged, like it was simple to him. "The blood ran through the generations. I can't _believe_ that I didn't realize it."

"I…I don't understand."

Wraith looked up into her eyes. His own were gleaming somewhat, but also held the expression of seriousness. "It's no wonder your mother is such a fantastic Healer. She has the blood in her, and she's passed it to you. Your father didn't have any, I know that, and you only have a little of it."

Sumire's eyes suddenly lit up. "But I still have it, right?"

Wraith smiled knowingly. "Yes, you still do. I guess you're going to have to learn how to channel it properly."

Again with the blinking. "What? You know Magic?"

"Of course I do. It comes naturally to a Vampire."

"Oh, yeah." Sumire flushed a bit, then laid back on the bed. When she looked up, Wraith was still looking at her with a curious expression. "Yes?"

The Vampire shrugged. He turned his eyes to the side, then sat back on the bed more. "You're different."

Sumire blinked. "Thanks?"

Wraith grinned as he looked at her. "You could say that. Well, anyways. The sun's up…and what are you going to do?"

"Heh, I have no idea. _You_ can't leave because of the sun, and _I_ can't leave to get some fresh air. Come on, Wraith…can't I just go take a walk? This town is LAME, and I don't think I'm going to be attacked by Vampires any time soon, you know."

A mask of emotions ran over Wraith's face, and he shook his head. "What about the slaves? You know that Vampires can trick their slaves into killing someone, right?"

Sumire nodded. Her expression told him that she didn't exactly care. Finally, Wraith just sighed and hung his head, defeated. "Fine, fine. You can go. But take this," He reached behind his back and untied something. Afterwards, he pulled out a sheath that should have belonged to a short katana. He handed it to Sumire, who took it with curious eyes. She pulled the blade out, then checked it over slowly.

"So this goes on your back?" Her eyes looked worried, and Wraith stood up.

"No, you don't have to wear it on your back. You can slide it under something, but make sure you have easy access to it."

Before he walked away, Sumire stood up and poked him in the shoulder defensively after hiding the sheath and blade somewhere. "Why don't you have any guns, Wraith?"

When his expression grew cold, she backed off and sat down. "Because, Sumire. _Guns_ can't take out the Vampires that are after us. Plus, I prefer blades. Now, go do whatever you wish to do. I have to phone a few places to get a new car."

With that, the Vampire disappeared into the bathroom to take a shower. Sumire grinned and skipped out of the room, then out of the hotel. The air was cool and pleasant. Everybody ignored her, and she was just fine with that.


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

The sun had finally peeked out of the clouds. Sumire was sitting on a bench in front of the hotel. Her eyes gazed at the seen around her; cars passing by, people taking walks with their dogs or friends. She'd already taken a long, long walk, and was feeling hungry. Sighing, Sumire slid off of the bench, then went inside. She used the card key to get into the room. Wraith was on the bed, a phone to his ear. He obviously wasn't asking for a car, because his voice was low to the point where it wasn't even audible.

A few minutes later, Wraith hung up and turned to the girl. A small smile was on his face, and she raised an eyebrow at that.

"I found a car, and I managed to get rid of the other one. They're sending someone out in it; a Hunter, so he can go kill whoever comes after us."

Sumire nodded slightly. "That works. Why do you have a Hunter on your side, anyways?"

"He's been around for a long, long time. I've been a good Vampire, so he has no reason to kill me," Wraith shrugged. He looked over Sumire for a second, then read her eyes in an instant. "Hungry?"

Sumire grinned. "Starving."

"Here," Wraith held out a twenty to her, and she took it gratefully. After thanking him, she left the hotel to get some food from a fast-food restaurant or something.

The Vampire glanced around, then stretched out on the bed with his arms crossed behind his head. He thought about the car they'd had to ditch, then instantly started feeling bad because Sumire could have gotten seriously hurt. He snorted, hopped off of the bed, then went to the bathroom to take a shower. It seemed that whenever he got grumpy about something, or even stressed, he could just dunk himself in steaming hot water and he'd begin feeling better.

Sumire ordered a box of chicken strips, sauce for them, a soda, and a piece of apple pie. She ate outside, ignoring the odd looks everybody gave her. It had chilled off since she went into the hotel, but she thought it was wonderful. It beat out the constant, disgusting heat of Phoenix. The mansion never stopped being hot, and it wreaked of decay and different smells that were unrecognizable.

When she was done, Sumire walked back to the hotel. It was about three-thirty in the afternoon by then She guessed that the sun would go down in at least three hours. The thought of going back on the road made her back ache again, and she limped into the hotel room with a sulky expression on her face. Wraith was sitting on his bed, running his hands through his short-ish white and red hair. He looked over at her, then raised an eyebrow in question to her expression.

"Don't ask." Sumire mumbled, then collapsed on the bed with a groan. She wasn't tired; just sore.

"Hm," Wraith mused. He smiled suddenly and pointed to his hair. "Watch; _this_ is Magic."

Slowly, the Vampire ran his fingertips through his hair. He muttered something under his breath, and every time his fingers touch his hair it shifted so it was black. It wasn't until all of his hair was black that he stopped. "Do you see? I can change things in my body around so that I look different. This actually is my natural hair color."

Sumire raised an eyebrow, then let out a little snort. "Wow, seriously. So…is your face or anything changed so you look different, or am I seeing the real Wraith now?"

"It's me. If I wanted to make myself look different, I would have already done it. I could do anything…make my skin darker, change my bone structure; anything. It's hard sometimes, but the results are pretty neat."

"Yeah," Sumire nodded. When she realized her mouth was still open, she closed it and looked away quickly. "Uhm…where are we going, tonight?"

"Home. We'll drive all through the night, then arrive home."  
She glanced back at the Vampire. "How far is that?"

"About nine hours, I believe."

Sumire just groaned and fell back onto the bed. _Nine_ hours of driving was going to be a bitch. She could hear Wraith chuckling; at least _he_ wouldn't have to deal with the aches of sitting in a seat for nine hours.

"I think you'll live, and I think you'll enjoy the place that I live in."

"Oh yeah, how so?"

"Well, first off, you won't belong to anyone. You won't even be a guest in the house. Second, you'll belong. And third, well…you'll see."

Sumire sat up to see Wraith smirking. The Vampire had something up his sleeve, although she wasn't about to question exactly what it was. Sighing, she stood up and stretched. "Well, alright. Tell me, O' Great Vampire, when is the sun going down?"

"Soon," He replied simply. Sumire frowned and dropped her arms.

"Thanks, that really helped."

Wraith just chuckled, adding further annoyance to Sumire's mood. She began pacing the room, eyes focusing everywhere but the Vampire. When he suddenly stood, she jumped. His eyes were curious, and as he walked up to her their expression deepened.

Just as he was hovering over her, Sumire frowned and had to resist the urge to step back. Wraith noticed, and grabbed her shoulders. His face had suddenly turned serious, and that's what was making Sumire nervous.

"What…" She blinked, but Wraith's grip tightened a little. His eyes flicked up towards the door, and he suddenly straightened up. "Wrai-"

"Hush!" He hissed, then moved her so she was behind him. Sumire didn't make a single sound, but she noticed what Wraith was looking at; there was a particular shadow moving in the frame. Her eyes lifted, and met his for a brief moment. His look told her to say put, and she did as he silently moved to the door. When he looked at her next, rage filled his eyes. It was then that Sumire knew; someone had followed then yet again.

The girl moved silently towards Wraith, then veered off and went into the bathroom. She picked up the dagger that had been placed on the counter, handed it to him, then stepped back. Wraith nodded and turned to the door. He unlocked it, though Sumire could only guess that's what he was doing because he made absolutely no sound. As soon as it was unlocked, he flung the door open and disappeared into the hallway. Nothing was heard for a moment, but Sumire didn't dare move.

When Wraith walked through the door, she jumped. Her arms went up in a defensive position, but as soon as she figured out that it was Wraith, she relaxed.

"Did you get whoever it was?"

"No," He growled. "But I know who it is…and even _he_ shouldn't be out during this time of day. I doubt he'll come back anytime soon, though."

Sumire stifled a tremble as she nodded. She took a deep breath, then walked out from the bathroom and into the main room. Slowly, she allowed herself to sit, but her face fell into her hands. After a while, she felt Wraith sit down next to her. He rested his hand on her back, then let out a sigh.

"We'll go as soon as the sun is down."

"Why not now?" Sumire lifted her head just enough to look at him.

"It's too early right now. I guess we can wait a couple of hours, then get out of here. You'll have to drive where I say, alright?"

"Okay," Sumire sat up fully with a small smile. "Just point me in the right direction and I'll do it."


	7. Chapter Seven

A/N – Hey everybody, sorry that I haven't been updating much. This month's been rough, yadda yadda. Lol. And I am truly sorry that the last chapter was sooooo short! I promise to make it up to you all ;D

**Chapter Seven**

After three hours and forty-five minutes of driving, Sumire and Wraith found themselves at a town named Graybull. Sumire desperately wanted to stay at a motel, but she didn't say a word since she knew that they had to get home –wherever that was- before the sun came up. She waited patiently in the car while Wraith filled the car's tank with gas, and then followed him into the store to get a few snacks. As usual, the Vampire got nothing to eat or drink. He didn't look thirsty, which was good.  
They hadn't talked much, but the silence wasn't tense for once. Sumire was left to her own thoughts, and Wraith his. He had only talked when he asked her if she wanted to change places at the next down. She had agreed, so there they were, at a strange town named Graybull. Once they were back on the road, however, Wraith took a sudden turn to the left while most of the late-night traffic went right. Sumire tried to look around, but all she saw was black, black, and more black.

"Where are we?"

Wraith raised an eyebrow and glanced at her. It was amazing how he could just stare at her like he wasn't driving a car; it was also very eerie. "Why do you ask all of these questions?"

Sumire shrugged. "I suppose I'm curious. Is that a crime?"  
Wraith frowned at her purposefully-hasty voice and turned his eyes back to the desolate road in front of them. His voice went low, and it looked like he was trying to fight back a slowly rising temper. Sumire shrank back in her seat a little. The Vampire noticed, then relaxed. The air in the car suddenly became calm, and Sumire felt like she could breathe again. She looked at Wraith, but her expression was weary.

"Do you want to get in the back and sleep?"

"I'd love to, but you have to promise to not crash."

Wraith gave her a look that said 'Me? Crash? Are you out of your mind?'

Sumire frowned at the look, then unbuckled and slipped into the back of the car. The leather seats, although they were soft, didn't exactly make a comfortable "bed." At least the road was smooth, though. The girl lay down, and managed to fall asleep within a few minutes. She didn't even hear Wraith's soft humming in the front.

Some hours later, Sumire awoke with a jolt. The car was bouncing somewhat on the road, and Wraith was mumbling something about a shitty road. He obviously couldn't tell that she was awake, so she just simply hopped in the front seat and buckled up. Wraith glanced at her, then sighed. "Sorry about the road…I'll have to get it fixed sooner or later."

Sumire blinked, noticing that they were on a narrow dirt road. The road was so narrow that the headlights from the car traced the outline of bushes and the edge of a mountain. When the girl looked out the window, she yelped and slid closer to Wraith. The road was on a ledge, and she couldn't even see the bottom of the cliff they were driving on.

"Where are we?!"

Finally, Wraith answered. "We're in the beginning of a mountain range called Beartooth Pass. The mansion is at the top."

Sumire shuddered, and Wraith laughed a little. Obviously, she was afraid of heights, but why should he be? "H-How high are we?"

"Hm…about 3,300 feet in elevation." Wraith sounded so casual about it that Sumire wanted to hide.

"O-Oh, okay." Shuddering again, Sumire continued to cower from the window. She made a small squeaking sound when the road dipped down, then came back up. A large, dark bridge sat in front of the car. Wraith continued on, but Sumire closed her eyes as they crossed the bridge; she was afraid it would cave in on them.  
"You really don't trust this, do you?" Wraith finally stopped the car about a mile away from the bridge. They were climbing the mountain by then, and Sumire was just trembling.

"Y-Yeah. I suppose I'll get use to it at some point…but I'm just so jumpy tonight."

The Vampire nodded; he really did understand. With a smile, he parked the car close to the ledge, then hopped out. Sumire did the same, but when she looked around the side of the car, it was so close to the edge that Wraith was standing on air. He almost looked comical, standing where he was, but he never fell; he just calmly walked onto the ledge and to her. Sumire blinked, then sighed. She was sore, tired, and just wanted somewhere cozy and comfortable to curl up.

Suddenly, Wraith turned around, but looked at her by turning his head. "Come on."  
"What?"

The Vampire sighed, then motioned for his back. "We're not going to get home if you're walking. I'll carry you. Come on, Sumire. Just make this easy."

Because of his pleading tone, Sumire realized that Wraith was even tired. She didn't blame him, and she didn't argue, either; she just hopped on his back, then buried her face into his shoulder like he instructed after she was on his back.

She felt secure, but as soon as he started to move the world whirled around her. Wraith was faster than a car, and she knew that they'd be at the house in a matter of minutes. But what happened to the car?

Sumire heard a large crash just after they left. She guessed that the car was sitting at the bottom of the cliff in a mass of metal and plastic. Shuddering, the girl held tighter to Wraith, who never gave up his secure grip. The wind flew past her face, causing her long hair to flow behind them in erratic movements. It was cold, and of course Wraith provided no extra warmth.

_I guess that's why Vampires only enjoy the company of each other…_

The thought came suddenly, and Sumire had to shake her head at herself for it. It was rude, mean, and she realized that she even sounded jealous. Many humans longed to have a Vampire with them, but because of Carver, Sumire felt that she couldn't trust the species. Wraith saved her; she owed him_ a lot_ more than she had realized before. She'd help with anything, and do practically anything for him in gratitude. But she knew that someday Carver was going to come after them. He might have been on their trail already, but Wraith was smart enough to put a house deep within the wilderness.

As they took a turn on the road, Wraith jumped up and into the trees. Sumire yelped and ducked away from a branch, but the Vampire never stopped his running. It felt more like flying to her, though. Perhaps he was.

"Where does the road lead to?"

Wraith glanced back at Sumire for a split second, then let his eyes roam forwards again. "It leads to some bad territories. Werewolves of sorts live there, but they're on our side; they just kill whoever happens to be a threat to my house, and therefore us."

Sumire nodded, surprised. It was a long explanation from Wraith considering he'd done everything but explain things to her. She realized that since they were going to stay in his home, he'd have to fill her in on most things. That thought was comforting, even if the sound of having Werewolves around was a bit spooky.

As if on cue, a howl was hear to their right. Sumire jumped, clinging to Wraith even more. Moments later, a pure white wolf began running beside them. It looked at Wraith expectantly, and Wraith took a moment to glance it its direction. Something brushed against Sumire's mind, and she realized that the wolf and Wraith were talking to one another without words. While they talked, she took the opportunity to watch the wolf. He was big; probably the Alpha of the pack Wraith was friends with. Muscles lined every inch of him, and when she took a look at his claws she cringed. They too were larger than a common wolf's claws, and she didn't even both trying to look at his teeth. She already knew that they weren't just for tearing flesh, but also for breaking thick bones. It was suddenly easy to imagine a pack of Werewolves going after a Vampire and killing it easily.

A few minutes later, the wolf slid to a stop and ran in a different direction. Sumire watched it disappear within the brush, then looked forwards. What she saw made her gasp a little; Wraith's place wasn't an ordinary house like she thought it would be; it was a mansion that was half-built from logs and half-carved into the mountain. Lanterns hung from every corner of it including the large doorway, so it was easy to tell at least the outline of the house. She couldn't wait to check it out during the day.

When Wraith stopped, he let Sumire drop to the ground. The girl took a few steps, then had to stop because she was stiff from the wind chill. In front of her, Wraith laughed, then led her inside the house. The door itself was about seven feet high, with black carved knobs and bars crossing over the front. As they entered, the roof arched upwards like a cathedral, but it wasn't anything like an actual cathedral. The furniture looked Victorian; most of it was black cherry wood. Everything in the mansion seemed to have a darker tone to it.  
Wraith watched as Sumire looked around silently. After a few minutes, he crossed his arms and smiled. "Welcome home."

Author's note: If you've ever seen Viva La Bam, think Bam's "castle!"


End file.
